Improvement in machines for treating curved spines



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES TAYLOR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR TREATING CURVED SPINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 1,548, dated February 9, 1864; antedated February 3, 1864.

-of the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and useful machine for 4exercising certainv muscles ot' the back to correct lateral curvature of the spinal column and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this spec iiication, in which- Figure l is a side view of my invention; Figs. 2 and 3, back views of parts pertaining to the same, one ot' the parts pertaining to Fig. 3 being in section, as indicated by the line a; Fig. l; Fig. et, a horizontal section of Fig. 2, taken in the line y y.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in the several figures.

The object ot' this invent-ion is to obtain a machine of simple construction which will operate in the most efficient manner for exercising certain muscles of the back in order to correct lateral curvature of the spinal co1- umn. To this end the invention consists in the employment or use of two oscillating or vibrating bars--one ot' which is ad justahle, and the other provided with an adjustable plate having adj ust-able pads attached to it-the two bars aforesaid being connected by a jointed fram e, and the lower bar connected by a hinge or joint to the base of the machine, and provided with an arm and counterpoise, all being arranged in connection with a cord and pulley, to operate as hereinafter fully set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a base-plate, which supports the machine, and B is a plate, the lower end of which is connected by a joint or hinge, a, to the base-plate A.

The back edge of the plate B has a guide, b, attached to each side of it, and between these guides b b a bar, C, is tted and allowed to slide freely up and down. One of the guides b is provided with a rack, c, into which a pawl, d, attached to the back of the bar C catches, and holds said bar C at any desired height. This will be fully understood by referring to Fig. 3.

One side of the bar G may be graduated, as shown at e in Fig. l, to facilitate the accurate adjustment ot said bar. To the upper ends ot' the guides b b an arm, D, is attached at right angles, said arm being provided with a weight, E, to act as a counterpoise.

F is a frame attached to the base-plate A, to hold the plate B and bar C in an upright position when the machine is not in use. This frame Fis connected at its lower end to the base-plate A by hinges or joints f, so that When the machine is to be used the frame F may be moved back and out of the way ot' the plate B.

l To the upper end of the bar C a curved or bent metal bar, Gr, is attached, having two parallel side arms, g g, between the front parts ot' which a padded bar, h, is fitted, said 1 bar having an eye, t', at each end, which slide on the arms g g, and are secured at any desired point by pins j, which pass through the eyes and through any of a series of holes in said arms. To this bar G the ends ot' a curved bar, H, are attached by pivots 7c, forming joints, and to the bar H a bar, I, similar to the bar O, is permanently secured. On this bar I an adjustable plate, J, is titted and allowed to slide freely, and is secured at any point by pins l. The front or face side of this plate J has a series ot' parallel horizontal grooves, m, made in it, in any of which a dovetail flange, m', on a padded slide, K, is fitted. This slide may be secured at any desired point by a pin, n, passing through the back ofthe plate J into the slide, as shown in Fig. 2.

L is a padded projection, which may be permanently attached to the front side of the plate J, or arranged so as to be adjustable. The padded slide and padded projection have their outer parts projecting forward, as shown atp in Fig. 4. One or both sides of the bar I may be graduated, in order to admit of the accurate adjustment ofthe plate J thereon.

M is a cord, one end of which is attached to the upper end of the bar I. This cord passes around a pulley, q, at the upper end of a standard, N, on the base-plate, and, extending down, has a bar, O, secured to it. P is a cord, one end of which is attached to the standard N, the opposite end being provided with a hook, r. the cord l) by a cord, s.

The operation is as follows The patient to be operated upon stands with his back to the bar l and within the bent bar G, the bar G being so adjusted that the bar G will be just below the hips ofthe patient. (See Fig. 1, in which the patient is shown in red.) The padded slide K is then adjusted in the plate J so as to bear against the curved lateral prominence of the back, the padded projection L being at the opposite side of the patient. The plate J is adjusted on the bar I to suit the height of the patient and enable the padded slide K and padded projection L to be properljr adjusted to the patient, and the padded slide K is rendered capable of being adjusted higher or lower, independent-ly of the adjustment of the plate J, as the former may have its flange m fitted in any ot' the grooves m in the plate J.

The patient grasps with the hand of his weak sidethat is to say, the hand of the arm at the hollow side ofthe body-and alternately pulls the saine and allowsit to recede, thereby giving an oscillating or vibrating motion to the bars C I. This movement of the Weak side of the bod y, in connection with the oscillating movement of the bars C I, causes the padded slide K to act against the curved lateral prominence of the back, and the inuscles of the back in t-he vicinity ot' the distortion a-re consequently exercised and strength- The cord IWI is connected to4 ened, so as to eventually restore the patient to a natural erect position.

The weight or counterpoise E serves t0 render the operation of the bars U I perfect and uniform. The front part of the thighs of the patient bearagainst the padded bar h when the patient inclines forward. The cord Pis designed to be connected to one of the arms g of the bar G when the patient requires rest, said cord holding the hars C I in an upright position.

This device is now in practical operation, and has been found t0 answer an admirable purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The two bars C I, connected together by the bars G H so as to form a joint, the bar C being fitted in a plate, B, or arranged in any other suitable manner so as to be adjustable, and the bar I, provided with an adjustable plate, J, having the padded projection L and the adjustable padded slide K fitted to it, the above parts being used in connection with the cord M and the arm D and counterpoise E, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES F. TA YLOR.

Witnesses M. S. PARTRIDGE, Ron. H. LoUDEN. 

